Beyond The Veil
by lunastars
Summary: A collection of stories inspired by one line from each chapter of every Harry Potter [Rated K-M] [Various pairings] [Possibly quite AU in some chapters]
1. 1:1

**A/N: **_I always told myself I should write more Harry Potter fics. I mean, I like writing in general thanks to that series so really I should have been writing them all along. So to get me into writing more Harry Potter stories I've set myself some prompts. Basically I'll take the first chapter… I'll then use a random number generator to find a paragraph and then a line number. What I write about will be based on that line. Each chapter will be a one-shot and will be inspired by a line from each chapter of every Harry Potter book._

_I hope that made sense! Seen as I don't want to copy the books (or the films) these will be AU, hidden scenes, 'what if' type of stories or anything like that. There will also be various pairings, some canon, some not. And I've rated this collection M just to be safe but generally the collection is K-M._

_I hope you enjoy and if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask in a review or PM me!_

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_"He could see the bundle of blankets on the step of number 4."  
_- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 1 (The Boy Who Lived)

It had been months since the battle of Hogwarts. Harry couldn't believe the amount of time that had passed, especially not when he saw the pain of it everywhere still. Every time he looked into little Teddy's eyes he remembered how one day he would need to sit him down and explain that his parents weren't coming back, or how when he looked at the Weasley's he remembered that they lost a son and brother fighting in that battle. Pain and suffering was evident everywhere and Harry was struggling.

While with the Weasley family he started thinking. He used to wonder why he deserved such pain and suffering, but he knew now that those years with the Dursley's were nothing. That's how he ended up back in Private Drive. The Dursley's no longer lived there. After Dudley shook Harry's hand and Aunt Petunia admitted she missed her sister, things changed. They still only contacted Harry on birthdays and Christmas but now they sent meaningful gifts and actually asked how he was. They were willing to be open minded about his world so long as he didn't ram it down their throats.

Now number four Private Drive was empty. No one had bought it since the Dursely's departure and Harry started to believe no one ever would. He missed the place now that he was staring at it. It was his home after all, it was the place that meant he was still with family. He didn't doubt that Dumbledore would have found him wherever and told him about his parents, but it wouldn't have been the same, not really.

Harry moved to the end of the garden path. The front garden was a little over-grown now. The Dursely's would never have let it get into any state of mess, especially Aunt Petunia. They were proud of how perfect they seemed to outsiders. The flowers under the window were all mixed instead of being sorted neatly by type and then colour. It helped Harry to laugh slightly as he imagined the look on his Aunt's face if she saw the state of the front garden, he could just imagine a more horrified look at the back garden which was bound to be far worse.

Slowly he made his way up the path. The sky was overcast; strong winds came roaring in as rain started to fall. The sunlight was fading now, making the whole day seem a lot darker. As Harry walked he was thrown back, thrown back to a time in which he was far too young to remember, and frankly was not conscious to the world at the time.

Harry stopped. He blinked as his eyes landed on a bundle on the front step. He stepped forward, hand out-stretched towards the bundle. His speed quickened, trying to reach it before the rain got too early and the weather got too cold.

As he reached the step he dropped to his knees. Harry reached out his hands to open the bundle, expecting to see his own face staring back. Maybe this was the work of magic. Maybe he could do something to tell himself that everything would work out but he had to be strong to see it. But as Harry opened up the bundle it wasn't himself he saw, but Teddy.

He was a little younger than now, but it was definitely Teddy. Tiny and shivering. Carefully, Harry scooped the bundle up. He held Teddy close to his chest, trying to keep him warm. Everything was fine now. Everything they lost was to give Teddy a safe world to live in. So why was he out here in the cold?

Lightning flashed around them. As Harry looked up at it, he caught sight of the house, only it wasn't number four, instead it was a much larger house. Upon inspection Harry saw that it was an orphanage. Holding Teddy closer to him, Harry whispered reassuringly to him, promising that none of them would leave him in such a place. No matter how hard things got.

A boom of thunder sounded behind them and Harry looked over his shoulder. It was dark, nothing else to be seen. He couldn't make out the smallest detail. Everything about the scenery had changed completely. As he looked back the weight in his arms disappeared. He looked down to see he was just holding a blanket, no Teddy in sight. Harry frantically pulled the blanket apart, looking for him. He then looked around the garden, moving over to the flowerbed that was beneath the living room window. He was moving quickly now, flailing about as he searched for Teddy. He had to find him, this wasn't what life for Teddy was meant to be like. He was meant to be safe and happy and-

"Harry!"

He shot forward at the sound of his name. He looked around widely. He was at the Weasley's. Frantically he patted the bed, searching, ignoring the fact that Ginny was beside him looking worried.

"Harry, stop," she pleaded, grabbing his wrists. "It was just a nightmare."

"Where's Teddy?" he demanded.

"With Andromeda," she told him. "She's coming for lunch tomorrow and she's bringing him. What's the matter?"

"We left him, _I _left him," Harry explained. "At an orphanage."

"We would never do that," Ginny said softly. "Even if something happened to Andromeda, you would never do that. You're still so young yet you treat him like he's your own."

"Things must have gotten so bad," he muttered to himself. "We must not have been coping with everything and Teddy drew the short straw."

"I think we all need to talk," Ginny sighed. "Harry, everything is going to be okay. None of us are going to give up. I guess we all just need to sit down and talk about everything that happened. It was a nightmare Harry."

He finally looked at her. Slowly he felt himself calm down. So many people had died making this world a safer one to live in. In fact, Lupin had told Harry that he hoped Teddy didn't hate him, that he would understand why his parents got involved in such a dangerous battle. This new world they created had to mean something. They all had to live it and cope the best they could so that it wasn't all for nothing.

"I'm sorry about Fred," he said softly.

She shrugged. "We've all lost somebody."

"I can't take your pain away," he admitted. "I wish I could but I can't. I can't take it away from any of you and I'm so sorry. I hate seeing you all like this."

Ginny moved closer, wrapping her arms around his neck and he pulled her closer. "Then let's go tell everyone that. Let's all be honest and try to find some proper closure. I would like to feel a bit happier when I go back to school for my final year."

He nodded his head, pulling away from her. "And Teddy is really okay?"

"He's really okay," she promised. "Andromeda is letting us have him for a few days near Christmas so we can spoil him. He's young but I know he misses you."

"I'm supposed to be making you feel better but it always ends up with you making me feel better."

"I can do one better," she smirked. "I don't start back for another two weeks. So why don't I see if Teddy can stay for a long weekend? We can take him to that little park we found or we could teach him how to ride that toy broom you got him?"

"I like the sound of that." He leaned up and kissed her softly. "Let's call everyone together."

Ginny climbed off of the bed first. As she stepped back, Harry climbed off after her. She took his hand carefully in hers and led the way out of the room, leading them door to door until they woke everyone up. There were various similarities between himself and his God son, it just took Harry a single doorstep to figure that out.

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_R&R_


	2. 1:2

_"The harder she tried to pull it over his head, The smaller it seemed to become"_  
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 2 (The Vanishing Glass)

* * *

It was Christmas day and the Potter's made plans to meet with the Weasley's and the attached families. Teddy was also joining in with the festivities, and would be going back to his grandmother's that night. He and James had both dressed and Ginny had gotten Lily into her dress long before. That task had been easy enough, it was her middle child that was the problem.

Every year they all still got the knitted jumpers with their initials on from Mrs Wesley. Although the Potter kids and Teddy were always thankful, none of them were ever truly thrilled. Ginny had assured James and Teddy that they could take theirs off after dinner but no sooner. However, the year before Albus had taken his jumper off almost instantly so this year he didn't have the privilege of taking it off until bed time. That's of course if she could get it on him.

"Why won't this thing fit?" Ginny groaned. "Mum always gets it right."

"Everyone else's fits," Harry stated, tugging on his own.

As Ginny looked back at Albus to give it another shot, James flicked his concealed wand. As Ginny pulled the jumper down the collar shrunk, stopping it from going over Albus' head. As she pulled it away, James flicked his wand again, causing the collar to go back to its normal size again. As Ginny examined the collar Teddy shoved James, rolling his eyes at the matter. The next time Ginny tried, Lily caught what her eldest brother was doing and she giggled.

Her laugh attracted Harry, whose eyes went straight to James and Teddy. He watched as James flicked his hand slightly. Wanting to confirm his suspicions before he acted, Harry's eyes drifted over to Ginny and Albus. Just like he suspected the jumper still wouldn't go on and he could swear that the collar looked much smaller. The next time James tried it, Harry coughed.

Ginny tilted her head to the side so that Harry would know that she had heard. It had been one of many things that they had come up with. This time as Ginny went to have one final try, things went a little differently. Just as she went to tug it down over Albus' head, she let go and whipped round to face James just as Harry stepped closer.

"Hand it over," Ginny told James, holding her hand out expectantly.

"Hand what over?" James questioned, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

"You know what, hand it over," Harry spoke.

Rolling his eyes James let the wand drop out from inside his sleeve. He caught it and held it out for Ginny to take from him. Teddy just shook his head and this time when Lily laughed, Albus did too.

"Are you stupid?" Ginny demanded. "Sure they're not as strict with silly things like this but it's still not allowed!"

"I'm nearly old enough, Mum," James groaned.

"Yeah _nearly_," Harry reminded. "We've got a few months before you can do proper magic outside of Hogwarts."

Ginny glanced at Teddy. "Were you involved?"

"It wasn't my idea," Teddy responded, holding his hands up.

She turned back to her son. "You're lucky that they're more lenient with this kind of joke magic over the holidays." James rolled his eyes as his Mum pocketed his wand and turned her back but the second she did, she mumbled, "well at least your uncle George will be proud."

As Ginny walked ahead with Lily and Albus (the jumper now on him), Harry slipped in behind them. As James and Teddy followed on behind. Grinning to himself Harry held his hand out behind his back, his grin grew as James high fived him. Although things weren't as strict as they used to be, Harry and Ginny liked to keep things under wraps and remind their kids that there were rules to follow. But on occasion the things their children did became entertainment, quite like the kind they used to get up to. What made Harry grin the most, was imagining the look on Ron's face when he told him all about it.

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_R&R_


End file.
